Vice President's Plane Back in Air After Suffering Electrical Glitch

SINGAPORE – Vice President Dick Cheney's plane left Singapore on Sunday after a scheduled refueling stop and repairs to a minor mechanical problem experienced on an earlier flight from Sydney, officials said.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said the electrical glitch was fixed while the plane was at the military base, although she could not elaborate on what the problem was. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with embassy policy.

Cheney did not leave the plane or meet any officials during his brief stop in the city-state.

Earlier, a White House spokeswoman said the plane, which left Sydney on Sunday morning, was "fine" and that the stop in Singapore was previously planned.

"There was an electrical problem involving a generator, but no safety issue," White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said. "The plane is fine."

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said earlier Sunday that he had received a report that Cheney's plane was being diverted after it took off from Sydney, but that he did not have any details.

Reporters on the plane said a power surge during the flight disabled the cabin's electrical outlets and shut down the galley and the inflight films.

Cheney left Australia after a three-day visit to thank the government for contributing troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. He had earlier visited Japan and Guam.